New York Suits

Wells Fargo & Co. challenged a sweeping mortgage-fraud case filed by federal prosecutors in Manhattan, saying any liability was erased in April when it settled a separate, massive investigation of home lending abuses with U.S. and state officials. The New York fraud lawsuit, filed Oct. 9, sought "hundreds of millions of dollars" from Wells. It accused the bank of falsely certifying loans as eligible for Federal Housing Administration insurance for more than a decade. Wells said Thursday that the False Claims Act suit violated the terms of the earlier settlement, which required the bank to pay more than $5 billion in return for a broad release from further legal claims by the government. Quiz: How much do you know about California's economy?

Wells Fargo & Co. challenged a sweeping mortgage-fraud case filed by federal prosecutors in Manhattan, saying any liability was erased in April when it settled a separate, massive investigation of home lending abuses with U.S. and state officials. The New York fraud lawsuit, filed Oct. 9, sought "hundreds of millions of dollars" from Wells. It accused the bank of falsely certifying loans as eligible for Federal Housing Administration insurance for more than a decade. Wells said Thursday that the False Claims Act suit violated the terms of the earlier settlement, which required the bank to pay more than $5 billion in return for a broad release from further legal claims by the government. Quiz: How much do you know about California's economy?

The city agreed to pay nearly $3 million to settle lawsuits filed by the family of a man choked to death by a police officer. Anthony Baez was playing touch football in the street with his brothers in December 1994 when an errantly thrown ball struck Francis Livoti's patrol car. The officer tried to stop the game and Baez, 29, of Orlando, Fla., died in the ensuing struggle. The Police Department ruled that the officer used an illegal chokehold.

Arbitron Inc., a provider of radio-station ratings based on audience size, settled a lawsuit by New York Atty. Gen. Andrew Cuomo, who alleged that a new method of estimating the number of listeners underrepresented minorities. The settlement requires Arbitron to fix flaws in its methodology, pay $260,000 to settle claims that its system was unfair and contribute $100,000 to minority broadcasters, Cuomo said Wednesday.

Arbitron Inc., a provider of radio-station ratings based on audience size, settled a lawsuit by New York Atty. Gen. Andrew Cuomo, who alleged that a new method of estimating the number of listeners underrepresented minorities. The settlement requires Arbitron to fix flaws in its methodology, pay $260,000 to settle claims that its system was unfair and contribute $100,000 to minority broadcasters, Cuomo said Wednesday.

The first of scores of individual trials brought by families of the victims of the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 began in a process that could eventually assess multimillion-dollar damages against the bankrupt airline's insurer. A federal jury has ruled that Pan Am was liable for the Dec. 21, 1988, bombing over Lockerbie, Scotland, which killed 270 people, 11 of them on the ground. The widow of Pepsico lawyer Robert Pagnucco, Judith Pagnucco, 51, of South Salem, N.Y.

He will retire as a New York Yankee, perhaps this year. The caps have come and gone fast, like the summers: seven with the Angels, six with the San Francisco Giants, two with the Minnesota Twins, one with the Kansas City Royals, now two with the Yankees. They were all just caps, at least until last year. The Yankees won the World Series, and Chili Davis wore one of their caps. Tino Martinez had tried to explain the magic to Davis. So had Bernie Williams, and Paul O'Neill, and Derek Jeter.

Major record companies filed lawsuits against three more online music companies, accusing them of violating copyrights by offering personalized Web radio services. The lawsuits against Viacom's MTVi Group, MusicMatch Inc. and Xact Radio are the latest shots in an escalating legal battle over how much record companies should collect in royalties from Webcasters.

The National Rifle Assn., mounting a counterattack against U.S. cities seeking to recover millions of dollars in damages from gun violence, has helped draft legislation in 14 states and Congress to bar cities and states from suing firearm manufacturers. NRA supporters in three more states plan to introduce similar bills when their legislatures convene.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the world's biggest retailer, was sued Thursday by a former employee who says the company systematically avoids paying workers for overtime. The lawsuit, filed in New York State Supreme Court in Manhattan, seeks class-action status for about 20,000 current and former employees living in New York. Similar suits have been filed against Wal-Mart in 11 other states, one of which was recently settled in Colorado for more than $50 million, plaintiffs' attorneys said.

He will retire as a New York Yankee, perhaps this year. The caps have come and gone fast, like the summers: seven with the Angels, six with the San Francisco Giants, two with the Minnesota Twins, one with the Kansas City Royals, now two with the Yankees. They were all just caps, at least until last year. The Yankees won the World Series, and Chili Davis wore one of their caps. Tino Martinez had tried to explain the magic to Davis. So had Bernie Williams, and Paul O'Neill, and Derek Jeter.

The city agreed to pay nearly $3 million to settle lawsuits filed by the family of a man choked to death by a police officer. Anthony Baez was playing touch football in the street with his brothers in December 1994 when an errantly thrown ball struck Francis Livoti's patrol car. The officer tried to stop the game and Baez, 29, of Orlando, Fla., died in the ensuing struggle. The Police Department ruled that the officer used an illegal chokehold.

The government is spending about $12,000 to build a two-room jail "suite" for Sheik Omar Abdul Rahman. Besides the standard bed, sink and toilet, Abdul Rahman will have his own shower and a conference room with table and chairs in New York City's Metropolitan Correctional Center, according to jails spokeswoman Sandra Burks. Authorities cited security reasons for the construction. Abdul-Rahman, 55, of Jersey City, N.J., is accused of masterminding a terrorist conspiracy that included the Feb.

KPMG International, which oversees the fourth-largest U.S. accounting firm, was sued Wednesday by the trustee for bankrupt subprime lender New Century Financial Corp. over claims it failed in its role as "gatekeeper." Negligent audits and reviews by KPMG, the U.S. member firm of KPMG International, led to New Century's collapse, according to lawsuits filed in state court in Los Angeles and federal court in New York. The suits, filed against both KPMG International and its U.S.